The provision of a television service over internet protocol (IP) is known as IPTV and utilizes a protocol known as multicast. Multicast is a protocol to address a group of addresses in order to send data from one or more sources to a multitude of addresses. This means that only a single stream broadcast is required regardless of how many receivers the multicast is addressed to.
An example of a multicast transmission and reception system is shown in FIG. 1. The diagram shows the relative locations of HeadEnd Equipment 100, Middleware Equipment 102 and Customer Premise equipment 104. HeadEnd and Middleware Equipment 100 and 102 are connected to Customer Premise Equipment 104 by any appropriate network 106 which terminates at a digital subscriber line access multiplex (DSLAM) 108. The communication to Customer Premise Equipment is then effected via a PSTN link 110.
HeadEnd equipment 100 may include Encoders, Transcoders etc. and means (either via satellite, cable or any other appropriate manner) to broadcast the multicast that is produced. The multicast comprises a single stream for each of the different television channels that may be required to be transmitted to Customer Premise Equipment 104.
Middleware Equipment 102 is found at the internet service provider for example, may include video on demand (VOD), unicast capabilities, time shift TV, soft switching, voice over IP (VoIP) and Network Personal Video Recording (NPVR). Middleware Equipment 102 is responsible for providing services to Customer Premise Equipment 104 as described above.
Customer Premise Equipment 104 includes a Residential Gateway (GW) 112 that is connected to other equipment, including a PC 114, a telephone 116 and a Set Top Box 118. Set Top Box 118 is connected to a television monitor 120 and can provide television programs to both the television monitor and PC 114 and any other monitor in the Customer Premise Equipment 104.
Broadcasters will send the national television channels in their multicast. Regional channels may be introduced at locations closer to the user, for example at Middleware 102 or DSLAM 108. Regional channels are channels which are relevant for a particular region. In the past regional encoders and regional channel inputs have been used to provide regional television channels to the user (customer). The drawback with this approach is that additional encoders are required at the regional locations. In fact for each different region additional encoding and transmitting equipment is required. Alternatively additional equipment is required to feed a regional stream to a DSLAM to provide these regional channels. Again this requires additional equipment in each region. This also means that some if not all, of the controls of regional channels are managed regionally, which has both advantages and disadvantages.
One object of the present invention is to provide a regional television channel service and method in the IPTV environment which at least overcomes some of the drawbacks associated with the prior art.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a regional TV method and apparatus without additional equipment than that already existing.